over the years
by Picup
Summary: "Then wait for me." Kanan loves the sea, and wants to share that love with someone. It takes her years to realize it's someone she's been with all along.


_After several of months of not being able to finish or write anything, I'm finally finished a self-indulgent piece on a pair that I somehow fell so much in love with. There's something about Chika and Kanan's relationship that I love-if you're going to ask me why I love it so much, I wouldn't be able to formulate a proper response other than... Idiot mikan needs someone to take care of her so why not a dolphin?_

 _I hope you enjoy this piece. I have so many thoughts and feelings behind it that I probably could talk about it forever but I'll keep my feelings away from the authors notes. If you do want to hear about them, feel free to message me about it, I'll be happy to answer!_

* * *

The Matsuura Family has been friends with the Takami Family since the wives were in High School. It was natural that everyone in Uchiura knew each other, but they were especially close. So, when the Takami Family had their first two daughters, the Matsuura's were there to congratulate and help welcome them to their new world. This was also the same when the Matsuura's had their only daughter.

When the Takami Family had their last child—the Matsuura Family once again visited Tochiman Inn to gush and coo over the youngest daughter and spoil the other children as well.

Two-year-old, Matsuura Kanan stares in fascination at the bright, red eyes, plump, chubby cheeks, and growing orange hair. The baby is looking around in curiosity, everything, and everyone new to her world. A soft sucking sound comes from her mouth, her thumb a lot tastier than she lets on. The bright red eyes and chubby cheeks draws Kanan in, and she stands up on the tips of her toes to get a better look.

Noticing the young girl's movements, the Takami Wife kneels with a warm smile, drawing her bundle of pride and joy closer to her. "Say hi to Kanan-chan, Chika."

Kanan continues to stare in fascination, holding out a tiny hand to the baby. The baby blinks, then gurgles happily, yanking on a small finger, and bringing it to her mouth—the finger looks tastier than her thumb.

The two-year-old is slightly startled at the sudden action, but chooses not to draw her hand back. Instead, she lets go of her Mother's hand and pets the soft, tufts of growing orange hair.

"They're going to be good friends, aren't they?" The Matsuura Wife says, as she pats her daughter's head gently.

A happy gurgle and a wide smile is the only response to her question.

* * *

Before learning how to write or read, her Father taught her how to swim. While piggybacking Kanan, he insists to his wife that a Matsuura needs to "become one" with the sea before learning all the other life skills. She's rather against it—Kanan's still so young—but she falls victim to a double puppy dog gaze.

It's a rather frigid, spring morning. Her Father left for a moment to help her Mother prepare the diving shop for their first customers. She stands on the beach, the coarse sand just tickling the bottoms of her feet, staring at the sun rising against the horizon. It was red—a bright red.

She closes her eyes to soak the warmth in. Even with the bitterness of the ocean breeze, the sun's warmth spreads throughout her body. It's a slow rise, starting from the depths of her body and gradually pushing its way through her veins.

Strong arms suddenly circle around her small frame, and a loud, cheerful shout rings in her ears. She's submerged in water shortly after. Kanan's unsure of how to act, the entire environment around her changing in an instance. She wants to flail around, but the strong arms trap her smaller frame to herself.

It's cold, the water not quite warmed by the sun's rays, but she's pulled into the warm, bulky body of her Father, his rumbling laughter echoing in her ears.

She never forgets the joyous laughter, the mix of cold and warm temperature, alongside the bright red sun that is watching them from afar. The sea offers all of that to her, and it creates a feeling that Kanan can never forget.

She falls in love with the sea and hopes to share this same love with another, someday.

* * *

As years go on by and Kanan becomes older—she's taught many things around the diving shop. Uchiura's sea has always been a beautiful sea, and when the waters are warm—both locals and tourists take the opportunity for a unique experience. This makes it very busy and the Matsuura's need all the help they can get—even if it was from a six-year-old girl.

However, Kanan gets a break when it comes to refilling the oxygen tanks. The heavy tanks not meant for a six-year-old to handle and another visitor always comes to help.

By another visitor, is a burly, red-eyed man, who always carries his four—nearly five, year old daughter on his shoulder.

"Kanan-chan!"

She glances up from the masks that she's sorting out, meeting with bright, red eyes and an energetic wave. The girl hops off her Father's shoulder, giving him a hug around his leg and dashes in her direction. Kanan waves back to Chika—bowing properly after to the Takami Husband. He calls out to his Daughter, warning her to not cause any trouble and waves back to Kanan.

Kanan finishes sorting the masks quickly just as Chika pops up by her side, grinning from ear to ear. "Let's go play!"

Kanan grins in response, agreeing full-heartedly. Chika's always been a ball of energy, and her enthusiasm rolls off her like the warm, sunrays of the sun. It's easy for Kanan to take in and use it with her own energy and enthusiasm. "We can go swimming today! Dad was saying it's really warm!"

Lilac eyes easily catch the stiffening limbs and silence that befalls the just-a-second-ago energetic girl. She tilts her head curiously, bending forward to get a better look at Chika. "Chika?" She waves a hand in front of her face, fishing for a reaction.

Chika lets out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek as her eyes dart away suddenly. "I-I-I um… d-didn't bring my swimsuit!"

"That's fine, you can use one of our wet suits."

"Isn't your parents using them?"

"Now right now, we also have plenty of small wet suits…"

She watches Chika's shoulders slump and her head tilt downwards. It's easy to recognize this—Chika always does this when she's upset or bothered by something. She reaches out to hold her small hand tightly, "Chika?"

No response.

Kanan's brow furrows, what would make Chika upset? All she suggested was to go for a swim—

It dawns on her—not everyone is like Kanan, where they learned how to swim before even learning how to read or write.

She squeezes Chika's hand and kneels, her lilac eyes looking for the downcast red. "Do you still not know how to swim, Chika?"

The bottom of Chika's lips quivers and she gives a silent nod. Kanan holds all judgement—Chika's family runs an Inn—they were probably too busy to teach her how to swim. A grin tugs on her lips and Kanan puffs her chest out a little—she wants to show a bit of responsibility and be like an 'adult'.

"I'll teach 'ya."

Chika's eyes widen in surprise, "r-really?", her voice is small and meek but laced with hope. Kanan tightens her grip on the small hand in hers, not wanting to let her down.

"Really. We'll start small and then slowly go deeper until you're comfortable."

The small hand in her's curls at each word and she can feel the hope and anticipation buzzing through Chika. Her red eyes beam brightly, "Will I become a dolphin like you, Kanan-chan? My Mom said that you swim like one!"

A _dolphin_?

A bubbly laugh escapes Kanan's lips and she brings up her other hand, smoothing the soft, orange hair.

"Mm! You'll become my little dolphin!"

Her and Chika being dolphins in the sea—she likes the sound of that.

* * *

Kanan is tying her shoelaces when her Mother picks up the phone. She is in second grade now and claims she's "all grown up" to be able to take the ferry and go to school on her own. She's about to leave as the phone clicks.

"Kanan, can you go to Tochiman before going to school?"

Tochiman? The Takami Family Inn?

She turns to her Mother who appears throw the kitchen doorway. Her smile is wide and her lilac eyes crinkle with laughter. "It seems that Chika-chan is having some troubles leaving the Inn."

Kanan tilts her head in confusion. "Is she sick?"

Her Mother shakes her head, "No, healthy and energetic as ever. I could hear her over the phone."

She blinks now, her Mother chuckling at her reaction. Her Mother kneels to her level, smoothing out blue-hair and places a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Today is the first day of school, and you know how that goes for some boys and girls."

The first day of school—that explains a lot. Kanan remembers her first day—boys and girls running around the courtyard, kids talking about future vacation plans…kids showing off their new toys… It wasn't bad.

She also remembers the kids crying and clinging to their Mother or Father's leg, begging them not to let them go.

She grins, knowing which side Chika falls on. "I'll go pick up and drop Chika off then!"

Her Mother laughs, patting her shoulders in pride before she stretches her arms out to Kanan. "Good girl, now, give me a hug?"

* * *

Tochiman is not exactly on the way to school but luckily for Kanan, she catches an earlier ferry that gives her enough time to stop at the Inn, drop Chika off at her school, and make it just on time for her first class at her own school. Arriving at the Inn, she instantly hears wailing and shouting from the entrance.

"You can't make me go! I don't wanna!"

"Don't be ridiculous, you little brat!"

The first thing she sees is the familiar, small body of her childhood friend clinging to the fluffy neck of their growing puppy, Shiitake. The Tochiman Inn always had a dog, since Chika's great, great, grandparents. Shiitake is the current Inn dog—a white, shaggy dog whose fur grows like crazy, making his head look almost like the cap of a shiitake mushroom. He is a friendly, energetic puppy; Kanan often runs alongside the beach shore with him and Chika.

Yelling at Chika is her older sister—Mito. Mito is outgoing and straightforward, something like an older Chika.

Being similar though, meant that they buttheads more often.

"Let go of Shiitake! We're going to be late for school!"

"No!"

Kanan laughs as she steps up towards the Inn, making her presence known to the bickering siblings. "Good morning!"

"Kanan-chan?! Aw, geez, Mom probably phoned you about this one." Mito grinds her fist into a crying, Chika. The older sister rubs her head sheepishly, "Sorry I have to leave this troublesome brat to you."

A sense of pride and responsibility swells in Kanan's chest, this makes her really feel like an adult now. She raises her shoulders and puffs her chest out. "Leave it to me! I'll make sure Chika makes it safe, to and from school!"

Mito has a grateful smile on her face, chopping Chika's head lightly, and pats Kanan's shoulder. "I know she's safe." She disappears back into the Inn—most likely to tell her Mom that Chika is off and to prepare to leave for her own school.

Kanan walks up to the now, quieting Chika, "Chika." She calls out.

"I-I don't wanna go…" Chika mumbles through Shiitake's thick fur, still refusing to let go.

Kanan can't help but laugh a little. Chika's never this serious about not doing something—not even during the time she didn't know how to swim. She reaches out, her hand clenching around Chika's tiny fist that's curled against Shiitake's mangy fur.

"It's not scary. School is a lot of fun y'know. You meet new people, you play and have fun, you learn a lot of stuff…"

Chika's hand is slowly loosening as she hangs on to each word Kanan says. Tearful, red eyes peer at her now, tears starting to dry, "R-Really…? B-But… I won't be in Kanan-chan's class… Not even in Kanan-chan's school!" Her bottom lip sticks out, "I want to be with Kanan-chan!"

Chika was enrolled in the other elementary school out of the two in Uchiura. It's just much closer to Tochiman, just like how Kanan's school is closer to her home. Kanan's unsure of how to respond to Chika's loud request.

"Chika, you know we can't. Even if we went to the same school, we would still be in different classes. We're not the same age." She tries to reason after thinking for a while.

"Then, if I wish for it, do you think it will happen?"

Kanan pauses—even if she's so young, she knows enough to be able to tell if something is impossible. She doesn't know what to tell Chika though. They were still so young, so having a little imagination wasn't bad, right?

"Mm! And I'll help 'ya along the way. But you still gotta go to school."

With the way, Chika's face scrunches, it's as if she must decide between two things she hates eating. Kanan bites the bottom of her lip to stop herself from bursting out into laughter. Slowly, Chika's hands loosen around Shiitake's fur and curls around Kanan's. "… Okay."

"Good! Now, c'mon, we're going to be late."

Kanan stands, tugging Chika up with her. They share matching grins and Chika squeezes Kanan's hand with an affirmative nod.

* * *

Chika gets to school and home from school without any issues. In fact, for Kanan, it's hard to get Chika to go home sometimes. The small, orange-haired girl just wants to keep playing _all day_. Often, Kanan must promise Chika she'll get some fresh mikans at home, but they have to _go_ home to get them. Years come and go, and Kanan's daily walks to bring Chika home from school becomes much more infrequent.

It doesn't stop Chika from vibrantly chatting when Kanan does come by to take Chika home.

"Today in English class, we talked about our favorite food! You know I always will say mikan!" Chika is as always, full of energy, her eyes bright and wide and she vibrantly talks with her hands. "Our Teacher from Tokyo gave me a high touch because mikans were her favorite too!" Chika re-enacts their high touch by unclasping her hand from Kanan's and raising it. She claps both of their togethers again with a grin.

Kanan giggles, "That sounds like fun."

Chika nods furiously, "And, and, in gym class today, You-chan swam _super_ fast! She's like a super hero, you know!" Kanan laughs again, "You is like a super hero, huh? And what would you be, Chika? The _side-kick_?"

She wails loudly, hitting Kanan playfully with her fist. "Mou, that's mean Kanan! I would also be a hero like You-chan! You… You would be the Villain!"

Kanan raises a brow, she's unsure if she should be offended at being the villain. She decides to go with it, raising both of her hands up, "Then I'm going to defeat you for once and for all, _Super Mikan_ I"

Chika puffs her chest out, "Not if I can help it, evil Kanan-chan!"

Kanan chases Chika around the beach, their shouts and laughter heard all the way from Tochiman.

* * *

After their game of heroes and villains, Chika and Kanan lied on the beach, munching on their favorite, mikan dorayaki. The Takami Wife thought it would be a good snack for them to have before dinner, to restore all their spent energy from their game. They eat in peace, enjoying the sea and the sun together, as the waves tickle the very ends of their feet.

"Fay, Thanan-chaf." Chika mumbles through a mouthful of dorayaki. Kanan gives her a pointed look, and Chika swallows. "You're going to go to middle school next year, right? From what Mito-nee says, it seems like no fun… Plus you're going to the one close to your house, right?"

Kanan goes silent as she munches through her dorayaki in thought. It's true, all the games and songs and play time ended at middle school. Middle school becomes a time for learning and studying for High School. She swallows the mouthful of dorayaki she has, "Mmm… Yeah, I will huh."

"I know you won't have time to pick me up from school anymore, but… I'll be okay! I want to be a big girl _too_ , y'know!" Chika proudly states, giving Kanan a toothy grin. She tears through the dorayaki again, "So Thanan-chaf won't hafta forry abouf me!"

The blue-haired girl pauses for a moment, laughing after finishing her dorayaki. "Keep talking like that, and I will worry about you."

Chika pouts, swallowing her mouthful and mumbles, "You really are a villain."

Kanan just cackles in response. "And you're _still_ the side-kick."

* * *

Over the next few years, Kanan barely sees Chika. They still talk here and there about this and that during special occasions, but it's extremely rare. When Kanan enters High School, she doesn't see Chika at all—her attention drawn to the hottest topic that's all-over Japan— _school idols_.

And Kanan was captivated by school idols.

At the beginning of her High School year, Dia pitched her the idea of being school idols. She showed her many promotional videos, many magazine articles, and even a strenuous training schedule (how Dia got it, is still a mystery). At first, Kanan wasn't too interested but hearing all the passion coming from Dia… It was amusing, so she figured she might as well give it a go.

She became really into it when Dia introduced her to μ's.

They were ordinary High School Girls like them (that's what all school idols were), but they danced and sung songs. They were like idols—but they were so relatable, even for a country girl like her.

But it was their relationships—their closeness to each other, even though there was nine of them, that really got to Kanan. It reminded her of her friendships, with Mari, Dia, and all her other friends. She wanted to do this with them—she wanted to be a school idol with her friends.

So, when Dia asked her to become a school idol, Kanan knew she was hooked.

She would put her all into this and refused to back down.

* * *

With a combination of practice, hard work, and persistence, their school idol group, Aqours, gets an invite to perform in Tokyo.

And it worries Kanan, _a lot_.

She knows her singing and dancing has gotten better (much better than when they first started), but she's still worried that she'll mess up on stage. It doesn't help that Kanan is an extremely competitive person—she wants to _win_. Her thoughts are a mess and she knows she needs to clean it up.

"Why don't you go for a swim instead of pacing around the store like that, dear?"

Kanan glances up from behind the service counter, her Mother standing in front of it with a smirk, holding some diving equipment in her hand. "You always go for a swim to calm your thoughts down since you were a child." Kanan blinks, then grins as the realization hits her, "… I have, haven't I?" She laughs, swiping the diving equipment from her Mother's grasp.

"I'll be back later!"

"Ah, Kanan, I forgot to tell you, Chika-chan and You-chan came by earlier."

Chika and You? It's been forever since she saw them—especially Chika. Her brow furrows and she stares at her Mother, worriedly. Did she tell them…?

"Don't worry, I didn't tell them about Aqours." Her Mother reassures, as if she read her mind.

Aqours wasn't really meant to be a secret at first, but Dia insisted that they didn't mention it to anyone. They needed to concentrate without any outside distractions—once they became famous, then people could start knowing. However, they all agreed to let at least their Parents know about it so they didn't have to always make excuses on why they were home so late.

Kanan flashes an apologetic smile. "Sorry, they'll find out when we come back with our heads held high and a ticket to the Love Live competition."

Kanan's Mother laughs, patting Kanan's shoulders gently. "Take this as a learning experience, you still have a couple of years left to be a school idol."

Kanan knows that, but she wants to _win_.

She doesn't want to upset her Mother, so she gives her a typical, teenage, 'yeah, yeah' response. She leaves to go for a dive to calm her nerves before their big performance.

She'll win for sure, and that's when Chika, You, and the rest of Uchiura can know about Aqours and be proud.

* * *

Mari rolls her ankle during their warm up the day of their performance.

She insists that she's okay, but the pain is increasingly cumbersome as their performance draws closer. It's when they're about to go on stage that Mari's ankle nearly gives out.

Kanan is so drawn to winning—her thoughts immediately reeling and going through different ideas of how to get through this. Should they change their routine that her and Dia move around Mari as center? Should her and Dia change the routine to a duet but have Mari sing backstage? Should they—

Her thoughts stop when lilac eyes rest upon Mari and Dia. She hears soft whispers of worry and reassurance travel between the two of them. Dia's eyes are full of worry, her hands firmly holding Mari still as Mari reapplies her tensor bandages.

Guilt bursts like hot liquid, and Kanan's heart pangs.

How could she _be_ so narrowminded? How could she _be_ so set on winning instead of the well-being of her friend?

This isn't why she became a school idol.

She became one to have fun with her best friends—she became one to show that anyone can be a school idol, even a country bumpkin like her.

"Kanan, let's do this!"

Even though Mari's cheer is upbeat and cheerful, there's still pain laced through it, and at that single moment, Kanan decides to throw all that guilt into one, selfish decision.

As the curtain rises, she turns around and—

* * *

One selfish decision seemingly creates a train of them that follows.

"I think we should stop being school idols."

Kanan is not sure how she's able to say that with a straight face. Her eyes are hardened with conviction, staring down Dia, who sits opposite of her in the club room. Dia's silent at first, her surprise hidden within her green gaze. She watches Dia slowly swallow, adverting her gaze, and falling onto the latest issue of SCHOOL IDOLS magazine.

"For Mari-san's sake?"

"… For Mari's sake." Kanan's voice goes hush and her own gaze turns downwards. She happened to overhear a conversation Mari had with a Teacher earlier, Mari rejecting a proposal to study at an overseas school. Mari's logic is that she had things still to do at Uranohoshi, and Kanan knows that it must tie to Aqours and their competition from Tokyo. But Kanan knows this is a once in a lifetime opportunity—she couldn't bare to stand in the way of that.

So Kanan makes yet another, selfish decision.

The small chuckle and smile that appears on Dia's face surprises Kanan, her eyes widening in response. "I thought you would say that."

Dia stands up from her seat, grabbing the SCHOOL IDOLS magazine. She watches Dia silently start to leave, tilting her head a little. "Dia…?"

"Very well. I don't mind at all, if it's for Mari-san that is." Dia's voice is even and the lack of emotion is starting to scare Kanan. Dia is about to leave, when she pauses just before the door. The SCHOOL IDOLS magazine is seen thrown into the nearby trash bin. Kanan feels her heart drop at the realization.

"I suppose I won't need this any more, right?"

Dia leaves without another word and Kanan wants to scream into the sea.

* * *

Kanan loves the sea. She loves the beauty that reflects off the waves that ebb in and out. She loves how important the sea is to everyone—creating an environment for wildlife to live and grow in. She also loves how it does not judge, when she needs to take out her frustrations, the sea just gives back in terms of temperature (hot or cold depending on the season) and silence.

After seeing Mari off, after confessing to Mari that she'll never forget her, Kanan goes for a swim.

A very _long_ swim.

She swims across the sea, where normally you would take a ferry to get to the other side. She takes a brief break, stretching her muscles out, before swimming once again, alongside the coast, until her muscles ache and whine. She just continues to swim, listening to the silence of the sea and the soft cries and sounds of the wildlife around her.

Her thoughts continue to be restless though. She keeps hearing Mari's cries when she told her that Aqours was going to stop. She keeps hearing Dia's flat tone of saying _'I suppose I won't need this any more, right?'_. She keeps hearing her own voice whispering to her about all her selfish decisions.

Kanan slams her fist against the fine, granulated sands, her teeth clenching tightly. Why? She did all of this to protect Mari, she did this for Mari's sake, so _why_ —

Something tickles her cheek—something long and _wet_ , making her nearly tumble backwards. Her eyes lay upon a familiar, shaggy, mushroom cap-like dog, who barks happily in greeting. "S-Shiitake…?"

"Oi, Shiitake! You can't be running off like that and attacking others!"

A familiar voice cuts through the air, and Kanan peers over the shaggy dog, meeting with bright, red eyes. "C-Chika…?" Her voice croaks. She hasn't seen Chika in forever, was she always this tall? Chika blinks in response, before smiling widely and doesn't hesitate to approach her. "Kanan-chan! No wonder why Shiitake ran off like that, he hasn't seen you in forever!"

Chika is smiling from ear to ear. Kanan blinks a couple of times before stumbling her way up to her feet and giving back a shaky smile. She pats Shiitake's head, "Heh, it's… been a while, hasn't it?"

"Mm!" Chika's eyes glances from up to down—Kanan feels a little self-conscious, especially the fact she's still in her wet suit. "Were you out for a swim?"

Kanan's eyes move to the side, "… Yeah."

"Kanan-chan?" She hears Chika call out to her and she takes a slow step back. Is it _that_ obvious?

"S-Sorry, yeah, I was just swimming, from my house an' all." She tries to reassure, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Y'know how much I _love_ swimming!"

Chika's laugh sounds so light and airy, different from all the sounds she's been hearing for the past while. "I know how much _You-chan_ loves swimming. I also know what happens when you swim excessively." Kanan's thoughts pause at that moment—that's right, Chika's known her _forever,_ there's habits that they've picked up about each other over the years.

She feels a gentle tug on her hand, Chika gestures for Kanan to sit down. She silently does so, Shiitake flopping next to her, and Chika on the other side of him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

 _Talk about what?_ Kanan wants to ask. Instead she starts with, "I… don't know where to start." Chika doesn't know about her, doesn't know about Aqours, doesn't know about _anything_ —they've been somewhat disjointed since they've grown older.

"Then it's okay. Here, I'll turn away."

Kanan snaps her head at Chika in bewilderment, watching the orange-haired girl face away from her. "Chika, what— "

"It's okay. You can _cry_ now. I didn't hear or see anything."

There's something in Chika's tone that Kanan can't quite pick-up, but it's like she _knows_. She _knows_ Kanan is in pain.

Not knowing what else to do, Kanan shakily, yet gently, runs her hands through Shiitake's fur and cries.

And as promised, Chika says she didn't hear or see anything.

* * *

Kanan learns to pick herself up after they disbanded Aqours. Her Dad breaks his ankle in a very minor accident, and it falls on both her and her Mom to take care of the Shop and him. Conveniently (as horrible as it sounded) enough, it acts as a good distraction for Kanan. She ends up having to take a break from school midway through her second year and the beginning of her third year. She feels terrible, leaving Dia behind with all the Student Council work that she usually helped her with. Dia insists that she's fine and that she'll let Kanan copy and study her notes as thanks.

During a slow period around the shop, Kanan's Mother asks her to return some stuff to Tochiman. Chika's parents are in Tokyo for some business-related reasons so their eldest daughter takes care of the Inn. Even with the extra workload, the Matsuura Wife still dotes over the Takami children as if they're her own, so she sends Kanan to help.

When she delivers the goods to the Inn, Chika's sisters, Shima and Mito welcome her inside. She's offered some tea and fresh, mikan dorayaki—one of Chika's favorites to eat when they were kids. She notices the soft beat of music and some tapping coming from above. She thinks it's an earthquake at first and glances around in confusion.

Mito bites into the dorayaki with a groan, flipping through the TV channels mindlessly. "Sorry, Kanan-chan, could you tell the mikan monster to quit her racket?"

Realizing that there's no tremors coming from the ground below and Mito talking about the _mikan monster,_ she laughs and leaves for the second floor where the racket is coming from. She knocks on a familiar door, hoping that she's loud enough to be heard. Even through the door, a familiar tune is heard and something in the back of Kanan's mind pops—her stomach flipping a little.

"Chika? I'm coming in!"

She pushes down that aching feeling, sliding the door open.

" _Chance for me, Chance for you_!"

Chika is standing in front of her mirror, dressed in some frilly skirt and white tank top while holding up a plastic microphone that she probably bought at the 100 Yen store. From her bed, her phone is blaring a μ's song—one that Kanan had listened to before many times. Chika's oblivious to her presence, and continues to dance and sing while staring at herself.

Kanan is amused at the sight, even if the song makes her heart ache a little. She leans against the wall, folding her arms. Chika's having fun, and Kanan doesn't have the heart to tell her to stop (even though that's what she's sent to do). She knows the song is about to end anyway.

The song ends as Chika tries to copy the same pose as μ's leader, Kousaka Honoka does—tumbling to the ground as she does so. Kanan nearly bolts forward in concern, but Chika's laugh stops her from doing so. "Not quite there yet either! Being a school idol is hard, huh?"

A wave of nostalgia hits Kanan, and she steps forward, offering Chika a hand. "It does, doesn't it?"

Chika grabs her hand with a laugh, "S-Sorry, I heard you come in earlier, but I guess I got caught up in… this…" She gestures to her made-up costume and her plastic microphone. Kanan gives her a grin, "Then you know why I'm up here, huh?"

Chika's response is a whine. "Mito-nee always says I'm too loud! Where else am I suppose to practice?"

"You can try outside? I mean, μ's practiced outside, right?"

There's a silent hum of contemplation from Chika, and Kanan realizes she may have made a mistake. Chika's going to ask her about why she knows about μ's—Chika can't know about it, not right now—

"That's a great idea! I'll practice on the beach!" Chika's already gathering her phone and her plastic microphone and other things that she needs. "Thanks, Kanan-chan! I'll see you later!"

Kanan blinks as Chika's already disappearing out her room door. She laughs quietly, a small, yet painful smile curling at the corner of her lips. "Good luck, Chika. Do your best."

* * *

It takes clumsy confessions and a slap to wake Kanan up. Her and Mari clutch onto each other desperately, crying their hearts out. It takes a while for two years' worth of tears and emotions to quiet down.

"Maybe it was fate that Chikacchi and the others carried on our dream." Mari mumbles against Kanan's shoulder.

They remain together, Mari's chin resting against Kanan's shoulder as Kanan presses her cheek against the braid that runs down blonde hair. At the mention of Chika, Kanan is reminded of a few months ago, when she saw Chika dancing and singing to μ's music in her room. She wonders if everything would be different if Chika had not crossed path with μ's.

Tears start to well up in Kanan's eyes again and she silently thanks the miracle that is μ's.

A gentle touch against her cheek pulls her out of her thoughts. She blinks, noticing bright, golden eyes staring up at her. Mari rubs her hand against her cheeks, moving to the corner of her eyes to wipe away the fresh tears. "We should go. Dia might get mad."

The thought of Dia locking them in the school crosses her mind, making her chuckle wryly. She pulls away from Mari's warm embrace, squeezing her one last time before gathering their semi-dry belongings.

"Yeah, wouldn't want to put her in a bad mood after everything she's done for us."

They shuffle out of the clubroom quickly, chatting vibrantly about this and that—they had two years to catch up on after all. Expecting to see Dia alone, they start to call out to her—stopping when the voices of others that wasn't Dia reaches their ears. Kanan and Mari exchange a smile at the scene that greets them.

The other members of Aqours is standing near Dia with Ruby in the front, smiling brightly at her older sister. Dia is clutching onto a costume—her body visibly shaking. In all the years that they knew Dia, it's unusual to see her so emotional—especially in front of her sister and her juniors. Mari, being Mari, decides to pounce on the unsuspecting Kurosawa.

"Awe, Dia it's okay to cry! We'll comfort you!"

"M-M-Mari-san…! I-I'm not…!"

Despite her strong demeanor, there is slight cracks and hiccups in Dia's voice. Kanan just laughs silently as Mari wraps her arms tightly around Dia and declares for a group hug.

Kanan watches one by one, the rest of Aqours joining in the group hug. It was like a domino effect and she watches with a grin.

Ruby immediately latches onto her sister, in turn, Hanamaru following suit from behind Ruby. You and Yoshiko are content from watching afar, but a gentle squeeze on their forearms from Riko prompts them forward. The three of them are soon in the circle.

Kanan wonders if she really deserves this new Aqours. She wonders if she really deserves this second chance, and hesitates to join this group moment.

A hand grabs her own and she blinks—lilac meeting a bright, red.

Chika grins, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Welcome back, Kanan-chan."

Emotions start to rack through her body again and tears threaten to fall once more. Her fingers slowly curl around Chika's and squeezes back just as tightly. She never wants to let go of someone, never again.

"Thanks Chika, please take care of me."

* * *

After the preliminaries of Love Live, there is an unanimous decision to take a small break. It's agreed that a break is good occasionally, it allows everyone to recharge and recover from such an intensive, high stakes performance.

Kanan, however, keeps up with her morning routine. A quick jog around Uchiura, a hot shower, a hearty breakfast, and then a start to her day (whether it be going to school or helping at the shop).

She's about to start her run up the shrine steps one morning when she notices a familiar, mikan loving leader at the bottom of the steps, stretching her limbs out. She raises a brow—she's known Chika forever—it's strange to see her up this early. She jogs over, calling to her childhood friend.

Chika greets her with a usual, upbeat, "good morning!".

"You're up early." Kanan remarks as the two of them jog up the steps together. Chika's laugh fills the still air between them as they continue their climb, "I work out outside of Aqours, you know!"

Kanan wrinkles her brow in amusement, "Since when?"

"Since Aqours."

Kanan whistles in response, "Heh? Where did the little, sleep loving Chika-chan, go?" She purposes raises the tone of her voice, teasing her. She even pretends to be surprise, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and pushing her lips out into a 'duck face'.

There's a rather harsh bump against her shoulder and Kanan laughs at Chika's pout.

"Mou! We're not kids anymore, Kanan-chan!"

She glances at Chika from the corner of her eyes—expecting to see the same, bubbly orange-haired girl she grew up with, but her heart skips a beat instead.

The sun still rests on the horizon, but the rays that do peek through, accentuates her small frame and slightly tanned skin. Her bottom lip is slightly popped out due to her pout and her eyes are narrowed in dissatisfaction. Even with such an annoyed pose—Chika somehow still looks so pretty.

Kanan's not sure when such a look—coming from Chika out of all people—had this effect on her.

Chika seems to notice her silence, tilting her head towards Kanan now in confusion. "Kanan-chan?"

Suddenly flustered at her beating heart and slightly clammy hands, she barks out a nervous laugh. "N-Nothing! J-Just admiring the sun, that's all!"

"The sun? But…" Chika's eyes pull their attention away and Kanan heaves a sigh of relief.

"I'll race 'ya up the steps, Chika!"

She picks up her speed, leaving Chika's exclamation and protests at her heels.

In the back of her mind, she idly starts to wonder when Chika went from small girl to a maturing, young woman.

* * *

For the third years, as April draws closer, so does their graduation. They're constantly reminded of this, with various of University advertisements posted on their bulletin board. Not all High School students go to University, but they were somewhat expected to (especially if they decided to go to High School). It also didn't help that their teacher's make them do a 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' assignment.

She sighs heavily, staring at all the several of ads for University and her blank, career form.

A chair pulls up next to hers, Mari plops down on it and lays her arms against Kanan's desk. "Still thinking, Kanan?"

Kanan pushes her form away. "… Yeah. I don't understand how you and Dia made your choices already."

The chair in front of her turns, Dia facing her now with a raised brow. "Mari-san and I are expected to carry own our Family Business, so they would want us to get a proper education in Business. Is that no the same for you, Kanan-san?"

Kanan's brow furrows in thought. Her folks never went to University—just High School, so Kanan never had that pressure or expectation to carry on. They were laid back, telling her they'll support her, no matter what path she takes.

"I dunno… Like, I want to continue studying, but…" Her gut wrenches—if you wanted to go to college in the countryside, obviously, you needed to move. The safety net that she's been in for all her life is suddenly pulled out from under her. "Doesn't it scare you?"

Dia and Mari exchange confused looks, before Mari lays a hand against her forearm, squeezing it gently. It's a silent gesture of her to continue.

"To move, to be away from those you've been with forever…"

Her mind goes through all the people from Uchiura—her parents, her neighbors, her friends, her classmates, everyone of Aqours, Chi—

She slumps down, a soft thud to her head in attempt to pause her thoughts and get the image of an orange-haired girl away. A gentle hand tangles with her tied up blue hair, stroking it rhythmically and applying slight pressure to massage her scalp.

"You're thinking about it too hard, Kanan." Mari quips, grinning when Kanan wearily glances up, not impressed with the answer. She glances over at Dia, hoping to find something but Dia just nods in agreement.

"It is not like Uchiura will disappear when we leave." She adds, turning around to grab her planner, and start writing down dates of exams she needed to take for her chosen Universities. "You are being overprotective, Kanan-san."

Dia sneaks a flyer from under Kanan's arms, green eyes flickering across as she neatly jots down the info. She pays no attention to Kanan's grunt of dissatisfaction. Mari's warmth disappears and Kanan is almost scared to see what the blonde is thinking about.

"Oh? Perhaps… Kanan fears leaving her _secret_ lover behind!"

She knew it was coming but it always spurs a reaction from her. Kanan immediately shoots upwards, her face turning a soft pink as she wails on Mari.

Mari just laughs at every single one of Kanan's protests—even turning to the diligent Dia. " _Our_ Kanan-chan is growing up! Soon she'll be working and getting married…"

"Mari!"

Kanan is about to drag the blonde away and give her an earful about teasing others but thinks twice. She glances at Dia—hoping that the Student Council President could at least calm her down.

Dia is giving Mari a blank look. "What do you mean by _our_?"

" _Me and you!_ "

Silence fills the space suddenly, tension now apparent in the air. Kanan looks between the two, Mari's words slowly making more sense. Did she just—

" _It's joke!_ "

Kanan and Dia just share a collective groan before they give Mari a double earful on teasing others.

Graduation, moving, and college fades to the back of Kanan's mind for now.

* * *

Kanan still can't get it off her mind.

There's few distractions to help her. With Aqours and School on Winter break, her shop closed for the season, Kanan finds herself in her room more often—the stacks of flyers of Universities all over Japan spread out on her desk.

She touches one of the flyers in contemplation—maybe she should just do it. She might learn something that will help with the shop and raise more income so her parents can live a lot more easily.

But what happens if her Dad breaks his ankle again? Who would help Mom around the shop?

What about her juniors? What about Ruby-chan, Hanamaru-chan, and Yoshiko-chan? Or Riko-chan and You?

What about Chi—

She slams her hand on her desk, ignoring the ache coming from the depths of her heart as she pushes the image of a hurt and crying orange-haired girl.

She needs a swim.

* * *

Kanan rides the ferry across, shouldering her bag of essentials. She couldn't swim near her home—her Mom would murder her for doing something so dumb in the Winter. So, she stretches the truth a little to reassure her that she's not doing something dumb and heads to a familiar beach.

There's someone already there, a soft tune reaching her ears as she steps closer to the beachside. She spots a certain, orange-haired leader, following along to a dance routine on her phone. Even with the chillier temperature (especially by the sea), she still sees the sweat rolling down Chika's chin. Her frantic and quick movements from the routine must keep her warm, her sweater and warm towel long abandoned in the sand.

Kanan continues to watch silently, trying to keep her eyes on evaluating Chika's routine instead of having them run elsewhere.

The music comes to a stop as Chika holds her pose—chest breathing heavily. It occurs to Kanan she's finished, and she finds herself clapping—startling Chika from her small routine.

Their eyes meet, and she sees the red eyes brighten in joy. "Kanan-chan! Ehehe, sorry, was I making too much noise?"

Chika starts to gather her things as Kanan finds her legs carrying her closer to her, shifting the bag around her shoulder. She wants to compliment her, mention to her how much she's grown as an idol, how her movements are much more fluid, how her poses are much more pointed and strong.

But all that comes out is a rather lame, "nah.".

Chika doesn't seem to notice, even laughing at her response as she wipes the sweat away and covers herself in her plush towel.

"Good!" Chika grabs her phone, fiddling around with it. The familiar tune of Mermaid Festa. Vol. 2 plays through her speakers. Chika's automatically glued to her screen, her red eyes in full concentration.

Kanan continues to watch her, settling herself by Chika's side. She doesn't react—fully engrossed on studying the routine intently. Kanan draws her eyes to Chika's phone screen. She's heard this song a couple of times, but it wasn't something she's so familiar with. It's quite an active performance—fitting with the two most energetic members of μ's. She glances to Chika again, a silly smile forming on her lips—it was no wonder why Chika is so engrossed in this, it's a song that fits her so well too.

She turns back to the screen, pointing out, "It's a duet song, maybe you just need someone to dance with."

Chika pauses the performance midway through and slowly turns to her. She smiles, her hand clamping onto Kanan's forearm. "… You'll dance with me, right, Kanan-chan?"

Kanan laughs, Chika didn't have to ask, but she'll play along anyway. "Does it look like I have a choice?"

* * *

The song ends as Kanan and Chika stand back to back each other, now sweating and breathing heavily. They're a bit too close, unlike how Honoka and Rin were in the video, that Kanan can feel Chika's soaked back against her own. The song required precise individual movements with a lot of motions (and towel spinning, Chika _insisted_ that they do the towel spinning), that after the second time through the routine, they were exhausted.

Chika breaks formation first with a laugh as she stumbles forward, picking up her fallen towel and wrapping it snuggly around her neck. "I feel a lot comfortable dancing side by side with someone, thanks, Kanan-chan!"

Kanan chuckles, craning her neck from side to side as she stretches out her muscles. She picks up her own towel now, tossing it to her forgotten swimming gear. "No problem. You know I'm always up for a good dance practice anytime."

The orange haired leader laughs, turning to her now. "I'll call you next time then!" She pauses, glancing from top to bottom. "… Ah, you were going for a swim, huh?" Her voice is suddenly quiet. Kanan blinks, then glances at herself, she forgot all about her swim. Thoughts behind her swim flooding her mind quickly.

"… Yeah, sorry, I had a lot on my mind."

Chika is silent for a moment. She has a look of contemplation on her face—trying to decide if she wanted to say anything. She soon just gives Kanan a wide smile and turns around, facing the sea. "… I promise I didn't hear or see anything."

Kanan's eyes widen. She fidgets a little, trying to figure out what to do next. She's not as distraught as that one time, but her emotions were certainly not settled… She swallows thickly, taking a step closer to Chika. "… Say, Chika. If, hypothetically speaking, someone you cared about is leaving, what… would you do?"

Lilac eyes glance over Chika's head, staring at the sea, but soon fall onto her backside—which is much more fascinating than the sea she loved so much. She's looking for a reaction from the leader, but can't see one just from her backside. Chika wouldn't be weirded out by what she said, right?

Chika takes her time answering, making Kanan twist and turn a little.

"…I would wait for them, of course!"

Chika's answer is so genuine—it's _so_ Chika. Kanan wants to laugh a little, but her heart answers differently.

"Then wait for _me_."

Kanan barely processes what she even says, lunging forward suddenly, and wrapping her arms around Chika. Chika's noise of confusion touches her ears, but it goes past Kanan's head as she lifts Chika up. Her lilac eyes stare at the orange-haired leader in her arms, seeing the sea in the background, and she's reminded of something from so long ago—something that she's always wanted to do with someone.

She carries Chika into the water, and they're both submerged in the winter waters.

Even though it's cold—the warmth from both of their bodies radiate and wrap around each other. Chika's laugh echoes in her ears as she throws her arms around Kanan's neck and complains about the water. Kanan's laugh also wraps around Chika as she buries her head in the top of the matted, orange hair.

Kanan fell in love with the sea, and she got to share her love with someone that she equally loves. It just took her many years to realize it was someone she's been with since she could barely walk.


End file.
